134 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[July 22, 1911. 
a small hook would either break or tear loose— 
are used, and these are towed by twenty to 
eighty yards of line, depending on the size ot 
the boat and its speed. The larger and usually 
faster boats, making a rough wake, use the long 
line, and the small sloops tow the shortest. 
Outriggers are fashioned from slender poles 
twelve to fifteen feet long. One of these carried 
on either side and a line from each quarter 
allows a boat to tow four squids, sufficient at 
any time, and if the fish are biting rapidly, 
enough to keep two men busy every moment. 
Back and forth across the channel you sail, 
endeavoring to locate the fish. Then an out¬ 
rigger bends and the line fastened to it tautens 
and hums, or you have the line you are holding 
almost pulled through your hands, and instantly 
become active. 
“Keep ’im coinin'. Keep ’im cornin’,” the 
captain exclaims, and you do your best to obey. 
“Ah, you would, would you?” Out of a 
smother of foam and spray something white and 
silvery shoots into the air, far astern of the 
boat; you feel the savage jerks in quick succes¬ 
sion as the struggling blue tries to shake loose 
the hook, through the line you are holding 
something of the fighting spirit of the fish is 
sent, and you grit your teeth and haul in, un¬ 
mindful of the fact that there are cuts on your 
water-soaked hands and that on the morrow 
they will be sore and stiff. Just now you care 
for nothing, desire nothing but the pleasure and 
satisfaction of swinging that fish into the 
cockpit. 
Then there are days when the fish are not 
biting'in the channel and you go outside. Down 
through the inlet, out across the bar, watching 
anxiously for signs of fish and wondering 
whether you will find them offshore or close up 
under the beach, almost in the break. A flock 
of little blue summer gulls attract your atten¬ 
tion. They are circling about, shrilly calling to 
each other, now diving down into the water, 
and then rising into the air again. This gather¬ 
ing of sea birds means fish. They are follow¬ 
ing the school, feasting upon the particles of 
food that the blues neglect while ruthlessly at¬ 
tacking and feeding upon smaller specimens of 
the finny tribe, so you follow the gulls and find 
that they have not misled you. 
Trolling or chumming, however, no one can 
say that bluefishing does not offer exciting 
sport. No gamer fish swims in any water or 
gives the angler a better fight. Take him on a 
light tackle and you have done something to 
be proud of; haul him in on a line he cannot 
break and even then you must give him the 
credit of never quitting in his struggle for free¬ 
dom. He has the fighting spirit of the bulldog 
and the rapacity of a shark. It needs no dainty 
lure to entice him, and he seeks no unapproach¬ 
able retreats. Instead his home is in the salt 
waters, where, free from all restrictions, he 
makes no distinctions of class, but furnishes rich 
and poor alike with unlimited enjoyment. 
Book Exchange. 
No doubt there are many of our readers who possess 
old books, and others who would be glad to possess 
them, and we are, therefore, making a special place in 
our advertising columns, which may be called a book 
exchange, where those who wish*to purchase, sell or ex¬ 
change second-hand books may ask for what they need, 
or offer what they have. 
The New York Department of 
Conservation. 
On July 12 Governor Dix signed the Wagner 
conservation bill, which became effective at once. 
A portion of the text of the new law follows: 
Sec. 2. Conservation department. The con¬ 
servation department is hereby created and shall 
have three divisions. The department shall be 
in charge of a commission to be known as the 
conservation commission which, except as other¬ 
wise provided in this chapter, shall have all the 
powers and be subject to all the duties of the 
forest purchasing board, the forest, fish and 
game commission or commissioner, the commis¬ 
sioners of water power on Biack River and the 
State water supply commission as now fixed by 
law. The commission shall consist of three 
members to be appointed by the Governor by 
and with the advice and consent of the Senate, 
one of whom designated by the Governor shall 
act as chairman of the commission until a new 
designation shall be made. The regular term of 
office of a commissioner shall be six years to be 
computed from the expiration of the terms of 
the commissioners first appointed under this act, 
and vacancies shall be filled by appointment for 
the unexpired term. Within ten days from the 
time this chapter shall take effect there shall be 
appointed three commissioners, one to take office 
for a term to end on the first day of December, 
1912; one for a term to end on the first day of 
December. 1914, and one for a term to end on 
the first day of December, 1916. Each commis¬ 
sioner shall receive an annual salary of $10,000 
and shall have reimbursed to him all actual and 
necessary traveling and other expenses and dis¬ 
bursements incurred or made by him in the dis¬ 
charge of his official duties. 
Sec. 3. Office and official force. The com¬ 
mission shall have its principal office in the city 
of Albany. The commission shall appoint a sec¬ 
retary to the commission, who shall receive an 
annual salary of $3,500 and necessary traveling 
and other expenses. The commission shall ap¬ 
point a chief engineer, who shall receive an an¬ 
nual salary of $7,000 and necessary traveling and 
other expenses. The commission shall appoint 
a counsel to the commission, who shall be an 
attorney and counselor at law of the State and 
who shall receive an annual salary of $7,000 and 
necessary traveling and other expenses. The 
commission shall appoint three deputy commis¬ 
sioners who shall each receive an annual salary 
of $3,500 and necessary traveling and other ex¬ 
penses. The commission shall appoint such engi¬ 
neers, clerks and other employes as shall be 
authorized. 
Sec. 4. Divisions. There shall be in the de¬ 
partment a division of lands and forests under 
which shall be administered all laws relating to 
tree culture and reforestation by the State and 
to the care and management of such parks, reser¬ 
vations or lands of the State as now are or here¬ 
after shall be placed under the jurisdiction of 
the commission; a division of in'and waters 
under which shall be administered all laws re¬ 
lating to State jurisdiction over water storage 
and hydraulic development; water supply; river 
improvement; drainage, irrigation and naviga¬ 
tion of waters outside the canals; and a divis¬ 
ion of fish and game under which shall be ad¬ 
ministered all laws relating to State jurisdiction 
over fish and game and for the propagation there¬ 
of, including shellfish. 
Sec. 3. Eligibility. No person shall be eligi¬ 
ble to or shall continue to hold the office of com¬ 
missioner, deputy commissioner, secretary, chief 
engineer or counsel to the commission who is 
engaged in the business of lumbering in any 
forest preserve county or who is engaged in any 
business in the prosecution of which hydraulic 
power is used or in which water is distributed 
or sold under any public franchise or who is 
an officer or holder of the stock or bonds of 
any corporation engaged in such business with¬ 
in the State. 
Sec. 7. Duties of certain officers. The duties 
of one deputy commissioner to be designated by 
the commission shall relate to the division of 
lands and forests; the duties of one deputy so 
designated shall relate to the division of inland 
waters and the duties of one deputy so desig¬ 
nated shall relate to the division of fish and 
game and each deputy shall have such other 
and further duties as may be imposed upon him 
by the commission. 
Sec. 8. Counsel to the commission. It shall 
be the duty of the counsel to the commission to 
advise the commission and each commissioner 
when so requested in regard to all matters in 
connection with the powers and duties of the 
commission and of the members thereof and 
generally to perform all duties and services as 
counsel to the commission which may be reason¬ 
ably required of him. 
Sec. 9. Suits and prosecutions. It shall be 
the duty of the attorney-general, when requested 
by the commission, to appoint a deputy attorney- 
general, who shall' receive a salary of $5,500 
and assign such deputy to the service of the 
commission. It shall be the duty of such deputy 
in the name of the attorney-general to conduct 
all prosecutions for penalties imposed by the 
forest, fish and game law or by this act and to 
bring all actions, suits or other proceedings 
which the commission shall be authorized to in¬ 
stitute and maintain and to defend all actions, 
suits and proceedings brought against the com¬ 
mission, and such deputy, and such assistants as 
he shall require, to be appointed hereafter by 
the attorney-general, shall be compensated out 
of the appropriation to be made by law for the 
office of the attorney-general. 
Sec. 13. Rules and regulations continued. The 
rules and regulations duly adopted by the forest, 
fish and game commission or commissioner or 
by the State water supply commission and the 
commissioners of water power on Black River 
shall continue in full force and effect until other¬ 
wise ordered by the conservation commission. 
Sec. 20. General jurisdiction. The conserva¬ 
tion commission shall have power, for the State, 
to initiate and conduct, of its own motion, any 
proceeding provided for in any article of this 
chapter for the construction of improvements 
